Internal-combustion engine having oscillating pistons



March 17, 1931. TREBERT 1,796335 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVINGOSCILLATING PISTONS Filed Sept. 29, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor HenryLT TrzbavT Attorney March 17, 1931.

INTERNAL Filed Sept .EIE-E H. L. F. TREBERT COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVINGOSCILLATING PISTONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Hevn'w; FTvabavT A llorneyMarch 17, 1931. H, L TREBERT 1,796,735

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVING O SCILLATING PISTONS Filed Sept. 29,1927 3 Sheets-Sheet- 3 Inventor Attorney Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVING OSCILLATINGPISTONS Application filed September 29, 1927. Serial No. 222,721.

The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved form of aninternal combustion engine having oscillating pistons of lightweight'and large horse power. g Another object of the invention is tosimplify the packing of the joints between the moving and stationaryparts of the engine.

Another object of the invention is to pro- .10 vide for the cooling ofthe piston and the stationary parts of the engine.

These and other objects of the invention will be illustrated in thedrawings, described in the specification and pointed out in the claimsat the end thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure. 1 is a vertical transverse section through the engine.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of one'of the oscillating pistons and oneof the compression heads. Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through thepiston on the line 4m, 4a: of Figure 3 showing the channels throughwhich the air circulates through the piston.

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of one of thecompression heads.

Figure 6 is a detail view of the eccentric packing ring on one of thecylinder heads.

Figure 7 is a section through the piston and hub on the line 7m, 7m ofFigure 4.

Figure 8 is a section through the piston and the hub on the line 8m, 80aof Figure 4:- Figure 9 shows a modified form of the cylinder made withtwo radii.

In the drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts.

In the drawings reference numeral 1 indicates the casing of the enginewhich is made all in one casting and has provision therein for fourcylinders spaced 90'degrees apart. The centers of these are placedequally distant from the drive shaft 6 of the engine. These cylindersare indicated by the reference numerals 2, 3,' 4 and 5. In the center ofthe engine casing is provided the drive shaft 6 which is preferablytubular in form to cut down the weight thereof. On the 59 end of thisdrive shaft is provided a double pression head oscillates the pistonhead opposed crank, the two wrist pins 8 and 9 of which are placed 180degrees from each other, and are connected by the throws 10, 11 and 12of the crank all of which parts are made in a single forging with theshaft 6. On the wrist pin 8 are pivoted the two connecting rods 13 and14 and on the wrist pin 9 are pivoted the two connecting rods 15 and 16.by which connecting rods the crank and the shaft 6 are rotated. Theshaft 6 is mounted to rotate in an ordinary Babbitt bushing 17-Aprovided in the journal 17 which journal is cast integral with theframe. A roller bearing may be used instead.

Each of the cylinders is provided with heads 18 and 19 fastened on theopposite ends thereof by studs and nuts. The heads make a tight jointwith the cylinder. The head and cylinder are shown in full line on theoutside at the lower right hand corner of Figure 2 and the head andcylinder are shown in section at the upper right hand corner of Figure2.

A hollow shaft 20 is mounted to oscillate in each of the cylinders. Oneach of these shafts a crank 21 is provided on which is pivoted theconnecting rod through which the power. thrust is'communicated from thepiston to the shaft 6. In each of the cylinders is mounted anoscillating piston having the two piston heads 22 and 23 on oppositesides of the hub 24, the piston heads being cast integral with the hub,the hub being keyed to the shaft 20 by the dovetailed joint 25 shown atthe center. The hub 24 is recessed with two sets of ports as indicatedat 26 and 27 the ports being spaced about 90 degrees between the centersthereof.

In each cylinder there are two sets of compression heads,28 and 29located on opposite sides of the cylinder. Below this compression headin each cylinder oscillates the piston head 23 and above the com- 22.The mixture is drawn into the chamber in the lower part of each of thecylinders by the piston head 23 and is driven by the piston head 23 intothe chamber in the upper part of the cylinder as shown 1 at the top ofFig. 1 and is there compressed by the oscillating piston head 22 on bothsides thereof and fired. The operation of the engine is substantiallythe same I -moves away from the compression head 28 and the hub 24 makesa tight joint with the inner wall 30 connecting the stationary walls ofthe compression head so that no gas can pass from one chamber into theother. At the same time the port 27 moves into operating position withreference to the curved stationary wall 31 of the compression head 29 onthe opposite side of the cylinder. As the piston head 23 moves towardthe head 29 it compresses the charge against the wall 33 which chargehas pre- 7 viously been taken in through the port 36.

This charge passes through the port 27 and into the upper chamber. Bythis time the piston head 22 has moved past the exhaust port 37 and theproducts of the explosion arefree' to pass out and the exhausting orscavenging of them is assisted by the flow of the fresh gases into theupper chamber through the port 27, as that gas is compressed by thepiston head 23. While the piston head 23 is swinging to the right it issucking into the lower chamber a fresh .charge through the port 36 onthe left of the piston head which charge is compressed when the pistonoscillates in the opposite direction, which it does due to the fact thatthe gases have been compressed on the left 'of the piston head 22 andare fired at this moment causing an explosion which drives the pistonhead 22 to the right causing. that piston head to drive out most of theremain- ,ing burnt gases and after it has passed the port 37 causing thecompression of the fresh gases preliminary to firing the charge on theright hand side of the piston head 22. In this way the piston heads 22and 23 are oscillated forward and back drawing fresh charges into thelower chamber on each side of the piston head 23 in turn and compressingsuch charges and causing the charges to flow into the upper chamberalternately on both sides of the piston head 22 by which piston head thecharges are compressed and then fired driving the piston head 22 andgenerating the power that causes the oscillation of the piston and thecrank which in turn drives the connecting rod. In this way the fourcylinders drive the four pistons, their cranks and connecting rods andcause the rotation of the shaft '6 by the series of impulses thereonwhich i: lses are communicated from two different c linders at,every 90degrees of the rotation of the shaft 6. There will be therefore, oneexplosion on each side of the piston head 22 or two explosions in eachcylinder for each revolution of the shaftfi and the explosions in thecylinders that are placed opposite to each other will occur at the sametime.

The cylinders are air cooled and are provided on the outside thereofwith a large number of fins as shown in the drawing. The piston heads 22and 23 and the hub 24 are also air cooled and for this purpose are madehollow and on the inside thereof are provided with radiating fins andpartitions 40 which are integral therewith. These fins extend around thehub connecting it with the sleeve and also extend up into the pistonhead and form pockets that are closed except for the openings in thesleeve and the shaft. Fins 41 are also provided on the sleeve which arestaggered with the fins 40 connected to the hub. The fins 41 stop shortof the hub and thus divide the pockets formed by the fins 40 in twoparts. As shown at the top of Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, a blast of air iscaused to pass through the hollow shaft 20 and this air blast passesthrough the ports 42 in the shaft 20 and sleeve into the hub, and theair is caused to circulate through the hub and out through the pocketsof the piston, the air passing on one side of the fins 41 to the outerend of the piston pockets and then back on the other side of the fins 41into the hub as shown in Figures 4 and 7. As appears from Figure 7, theair can divide and pass the short way around into the piston head 22 andthe long way around into the piston head 23. It will be understood thatthe piston head 22 is exposed to the explosions and will therefore behot while the piston head 23 is not exposed to the explosions and will,therefore, "be comparatireiy cool, and

for this reason the piston head 22 should receive, and does receive themost air for cooling. It will also be understood that water can be usedfor cooling the piston instead of air. The air passes out through theports 44 and escapes through the shaft 20 on the other side of thepartition 43.

The compression heads 28 and 29 with the walls 32 33, 34 and 35 thereinare each made of a separate casting which is bolted into the cylinderand each is provided with suit able flanges with holes therein for thispurpose. These flanges are provided on both ends so that the compressionheads can be bolted to the cylinder heads on both ends of he cylinderand in the cylinder and compression head a key way 50 is provided inwhich a suitable key is set for the purpose of holding the compressionhead firmly and correctly inposition. These compression heads are madehollow. and. are provided with small radiating fins 5 set on webs thatconnect the opposite walls 32 and 34, the whole structure being made ina single casting. It will also be understood that the cylinder heads arecut away above and below the interior of the compression heads so as topermit the free circulation of air through the hollow part of thecompression head. The walls and 31 of the compression heads are providedwith grooves in which packing bars or strips are provided which arepressed out by flexible flat springs to make a gas tight joint with thehub. The ends and sides of the piston heads 22 and 23 are grooved in thesame way and are provided with similar packing bars held in place withsimilar springs.

As shown in Figure 2 the crank case or housing is made in two parts 61and 62 which are joined together with flanges 63 and 64 and are suitablybolted together. A bearing 65 is provided in the housing for supportingthe shaft 6. Each of the hollow shafts 20 pass through the crank caseand is supported by a journal bearing 66 to the outer end of whichconnects an air duct 67 into which duct the hotair is discharged fromthe shaft 20. The air passes outward through this duct and at the upperend of the duct the exhaust manifold 68 discharges through the opening69. The exhaust from the manifold 68 causes a suction which draws theair from the shaft 20 after it. The duct 67 is enlarged to surround theend of the manifold 68 with a clearance, that is well adapted to drawthe air up through the duct 67 and the shaft 20 by the blast of theexhaust manifold 68. The manifold 68 is also adapted to act as a mufllerto lessen the noise of the exhaust and cold air is forced through themanifold by a fan or propeller that is suitably placed in front I of theengine.

At 70 I have indicated the intake manifold through which the mixture isdrawn from the carburetor. This manifold leads direct to a chamber 71surrounding the journal bearing 17 from which the mixture is distributeddirect to the intake port of the four cylinders. The mixture is normallycold and serves the extra purpose of keeping the journal bearing 17 andthe power shaft 6 cool.

On the two opposite sides of the explosion chamber'are provided theopenings 73 for the spark plugs 74 which are used to fire the charges.The firing of the charges is timed by any of the well known timingdevices any of which may be used or adapted t this engine.

it will also be understood that while the parts 2, 3 etc. are shown ascylinders, the cylindrical wall of the one chamber can'be made with adifferent radius from the cylindrical wall of the other chamber and thelength of the piston heads will be changed to correspond, to get thecorrect ratio of the charge, compression and expansion. The piston headscan be made of different widths from each other to vary the space leftin the chambers in which they operate. a

In Figures 2 and 6 I have shown a packing ring in each cylinder headwhich bears against the hub and makes a tight joint between the cylinderhead and the hub. This packing ring is indicated by the numeral and isshown eccentric to the hub in Figure 6. The packing ring is placedeccentric so that it will not wear in a groove at the end of the huh.

I claim:

1. An engine having a cylinder with a piston mounted to oscillatetherein, said piston having a hub and two piston heads thereon placedopposite each other, stationary compression heads in said cylinder whichwith said hub divides the cylinder into two chambers, in each of whichone of said piston heads is adapted to oscillate, an intake port locatedcentrally in the one chamber and an exhaust located centrally in theother chamber, an intake and an ex haust port located in the peripheryof the cylinder on opposite sides thereof and midway between thestationary compression heads.

2. An engine having a cylinder with a piston mounted to oscillatetherein, said piston having a hub and two piston heads thereon placedopposite each other, stationary compression heads in said cylinder whichwith said hub divides the cylinder into two chambers, in each of whichone of said piston heads is adapted to oscillate, said piston beingadapted to draw a charge into one of said chambers and drive it into theother chamber past one of said stationary heads, means for exploding itin the last named chamber to drive the piston, an intake and an exhaustport located in the periphery of the cylinder on oppositesides thereofand midway between the stationary compression heads.

3. An engine having a cylinder with a piston mounted to oscillatetherein, said piston having a hub and two piston heads thereon placedopposite each other, stationary compression heads in said cylinder whichwith said hub divides the cylinder into two chambers, in each of whichone of said piston heads is adapted to oscillate, said piston beingadapted to draw a charge into one of said chambers and drive it into theother chamber past one of said stationary heads, means for exploding itin the last named chamber to drive the piston, a shaft with which saidpiston oscillates, a crank on said shaft, a connecting rod driventhereby, a crank and shaft rotated thereby, anintake and an exhaust portlocated in the periphery of the cylinder on opposite sides thereof andmidway between the stationary compression heads.

4. An engine having a cylinder, a piston mounted to oscillate therein,said piston having a large hub extending the length thereof and a pistonhead on each side thereof extending radially therefrom, ports recessedin said hub and extending partly around said hub, both of said portsbeing adjacent to one of said piston heads, the

balance of said hub being free from ports.

5. An engine having a cylinder, a piston mounted to. oscillate therein,said piston having a large hub extending the length thereof and apistonhead on each side thereof extending radially therefrom, ports recessedin said hub and extending partly around said hub; a compression head oneach side of said cylinder and making close contact with said hub, saidports being adapted to connect With the cylinder on opposaid'packingring being placed eccentrically to the center of the hub.

-7. An internal-combusion engine having a cylinder with two segmentalchambers therein placed opposite to each other and separated from eachother by stationary heads therein, a piston adapted to oscillate in saidcylinder and in said chambers, an intake port in one chamber and anexhaust port in the other chamber, said parts being located oppositeeach other in said cylinder and in the peripherythereof,

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HENRY L. F. TREBERT.

